


Looking for a Red Rose (Happy 2020!)

by extra_Mt



Category: Gentleman Jack (TV)
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, Blind Date, Captain Anne Lister, Cephalopods, F/F, Fluff, Holidays, Marine Biology, Meet-Cute, New Year's Eve, Plot, flirting? what's that? you mean talking about slimy animals?, sexual tension? pls don't ask me what it is idk, stop imagining tentacles this fic isn't like that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-22 10:14:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22047760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/extra_Mt/pseuds/extra_Mt
Summary: "In the warm illumination of the bar, her soft curls gleamed in a colour somewhere between chestnut and dirty blonde. They held each other’s gaze. Something magnetic sparked. Lister smiled at her. And when ABBA finished singing their New Year song, the woman gave a shy smile with a hint of teeth."Ann(e)s are forced on blind dates on New Year’s Eve. But their dates aren’t here. Might as well spend time together at the bar.
Relationships: Anne Lister (1791-1840)/Ann Walker (1803-1854)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 108





	Looking for a Red Rose (Happy 2020!)

**Author's Note:**

> My love letter to this awesome fandom. Happy 2020! 
> 
> Based on a prompt I found on Tumblr forever ago. https://otpprompts.tumblr.com/post/138597512140/imagine-that-your-otp-have-been-set-up-on-a-blind

“A blind date?” Lister said, her lip lifted in a sneer. “On New Year’s Eve?”

Mariana let out a sigh as she put on a winter coat and a scarf. They stood in their bedroom, where Lister’s suitcases and duffle bags sat at the foot of the bed, left unpacked for days.

“Yes, that’s what I said. Now, I know you are going to say—”

“Absolutely not.”

“Alright, I know. But listen”—Mariana popped a beanie on—“it’s Eliza that has set me up on this. Eliza Priestley. I let it slip in front of her that I had broken up with you, and it all turned on her wingwoman switch. She didn’t give me a chance to say no.”

Mariana had slung her bag over her shoulder and was already marching down the hallway to the house door. With a bowl of leftover porridge in her hands, Lister followed her.

“Then, go yourself. Why must I go?”

At the door, Mariana span around, shooting her an ear-to-ear grin. “Because, the Norfolk beach is glowing! And it’s New Year’s Eve. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’ll be gone if I wait till tomorrow anyway.”

“Well, I want to go see that, too!”

Mariana shrugged. “You’re always seeing weird ocean things regular people don’t get to. Plus, it was you that said you needed to go out and forget about the ocean.”

“I didn’t mean a bloody blind date. Come on.”

“Anne,” Mariana put a hand on her shoulder. “You know how Eliza doesn’t take no for an answer. Do me this favour, and I won’t ask you any more. You can show up at the restaurant, scare the man away, and have the rest of the night for yourself.”

“For myself? What am I supposed to do alone on New Year’s Eve? I just came back.”

“Surely you can chat up an innocent girl or two without flexing.”

“You’re unbelievable,” Lister said, but couldn’t help her amused smile. 

After sharing a quiet laugh, Mariana leaned forward to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll make up for this plenty tomorrow. I’ll buy you nice lunch and listen to you talk about Kraken or whatever you’re into, without interrupting you.”

“The giant squid. Don’t confuse it with bloody Kraken. That’s a mythical creatu—”

“Alright, then. I’ve got to go,” Mariana said. “It’s going to be a five-hour train ride. I’ll text you the details once I’m on the train, okay? There’ll be plenty of time to get prepared. And please, do the laundry. The whole bedroom stinks, and it makes me nauseated.”

The door opened, and the frigid wind of winter blew in, making the spoon in the porridge bowl cold to the touch within a second. Mariana slipped out and closed the door. Standing in the foyer alone, Lister brought her arm to her nose and sniffed at it. She didn’t smell anything.

As promised, Lister got the details via text message a while later. They had a table reserved at a restaurant & bar, Crow Nest, near Royal Opera House at eight p.m. The man’s name was John, or Jake, or something that started with a J, Mariana couldn’t bother to remember. It didn’t matter, she said, because he would be wearing a red rose in the breast pocket. That was obviously Eliza’s idea, and to Lister’s further disgust, she too had to wear one. 

Not doing that, Lister decided. Being forced on a date with a man was already good enough humiliation. 

But Anne Lister was not a woman to cower at a prospect of a terrible night out. If she had to be on a date with a man, she would out-man him. 

Finishing her snacks, she took a thorough shower, rummaged through her luggage for her favourite undies—they were clean no matter what Mariana might say—and sprayed on her cologne. In the walking closet, she found her tuxedo jacket and trousers in dry cleaner bags that had been collecting dust. They still fit perfectly.

Lister regarded her reflection in the full-length mirror. Her hair needed a cut sometime soon, but it wasn’t an urgent matter. Her skin was tanned and a tad dry. But, tilting her head this way and that, she came to the conclusion that, overall, she looked quite dapper. Wouldn’t stand out in the New Year’s crowds in a bad way. The tired wrinkles on her face were a winsome feature. Surely, some women were into the dapper-but-disheveled look she was going for.

She could not wait to see the defeated face of the J man.

…

The walk to Crow Nest was supposed to be a short one. But Lister found herself not entirely in her element. The heels of her pumps were low enough. She wouldn’t sprain her ankles in them, but they were not as comfortable as her beloved trainers. The streets were teeming with people, who would keep standing in her way. Rude, inconsiderate people. And the ground—this abominable ground. After weeks spent on a boat, she couldn’t seem to walk without wobbling on the too-steady ground. It was easier to keep balance on the water.

She managed to make it to the place in time anyhow. Crow Nest was packed with couples and families, their laughter almost drowning out the holiday music that nobody actually enjoyed. She gave the place a sweeping glance, looking for a pathetic-looking man with a red rose in his breast pocket. There seemed to be nobody that fit the description. Perhaps she was early. They had ten minutes until eight o’clock. 

It would’ve been easy to find their table. It was reserved under the name of Priestley. But Lister ruled the option out and instead hopped on a stool at the bar, ordering a martini. From her seat, she could spot him without being seen when he arrived. 

But to her frustration, the clock struck eight without a shadow of the red-rosed man. Lister now had an idea of which table was theirs— It was the one by the wall, with a _reserved_ card placed in the centre among empty glasses and plates. The only empty table in the whole place, melancholy, like the last child at the day-care centre defiantly waiting for their parent to pick them up. 

Her phone screen lit up with a text from Mariana. 

**Bloody Mary:** How’s the date?

 _He hasn’t shown up_ , Lister replied. _I’m going to punch him in the tit when he does._

 **Bloody Mary:** Let’s not. I’m on my way home.

_Can I leave? He’s ten minutes late. That’s a punishable offense on my boat._

**Bloody Mary:** 20 more minutes. No punching anyone. I don’t have bail money.

With a groan, Lister glanced around again. She brought her second glass of martini to her lips. She could feel the alcohol coursing through her body. She could feel the gentle swaying of the ocean waves. She might actually punch him in the boob.

It was when she locked eyes with a woman at the end of the counter, sitting by the wall, ignoring a man who was trying to chat her up. In the warm illumination of the bar, her soft curls gleamed in a colour somewhere between chestnut and dirty blonde. They held each other’s gaze. Something magnetic sparked. Lister smiled at her. And when ABBA finished singing their New Year song, the woman gave a shy smile with a hint of teeth. 

Mariana wanted her to wait twenty more minutes. She shall wait twenty more minutes. 

Sliding off her stool, Lister made her way towards her with a careful stride. The coy grin across the woman’s lips seemed to widen as she watched Lister snake her way through the crowd. At last, Lister stood between the woman and the man who still hadn’t taken the hint and was hitting on her.

“Sorry, I’m late,” Lister said to her.

The woman relaxed her shoulders. “No, it’s okay. I’m glad you’re here.”

Lister then craned her neck around to give the man a measured look. “Hello. I see that you’ve been keeping my wife entertained. Thank you for that.”

The man glanced at Lister's outfit and, with his tail between his legs, retreated into the crowd.

“Thank you,” the woman said, letting out a huff of frustration. “He was so insistent. I could almost feel him _breathing_ on me.” 

“I live to serve. Anyway, I could see he was irritating you. Are you waiting for someone?” 

The woman offered a nod. “Though, it seems like I’m being stood up.”

“Really? How dare they. Funnily enough, so am I. Stupid blind date. I’m legally not allowed to leave”—Lister checked her wrist watch—“for the next eighteen minutes.”

A breathy chuckle fell from her lips. “Same here. I mean, the blind date part. I don’t know when I can actually leave.” 

The seat next to her became empty. Lister gestured at it, raising her brows at the woman to ask the silent question. The woman nodded.

Settling herself on the stool, Lister beckoned to the bartender. “Can I buy you a drink? A friendly gesture, miss—?”

“Ann.”

“Yes?”

“My name. It’s Ann.”

“Is it? What a coincidence.” Lister laughed. “So is mine. Well, this night is starting to get interesting.”

Ann nodde her head with her lip-biting smile. 

“So, little Ann, a drink?”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to. I’m already sort of tipsy.”

“Alright.” Lister ordered herself another glass and let the bardenter go. “Tell me if you change your mind.” Clinking her glass against Ann’s almost empty one, she took a sip. “Do you care to tell me about your blind date?”

“Um, I don’t really know a lot actually,” Ann said. “I’m here on behalf of my friend.”

“How’s that?”

Ann gave a bitter smile. “Where to start? So, my friend recently had a rough breakup with his fiancée, and by recently, I mean two years ago. But he’s alright now. He’s not ready to date and all that yet, but he’s okay. Then, there is this nosey woman who would insist he go on a date, meet someone new. He’s been politely declining her offers to set him up on a blind date for long, but it’s gotten to a point that she considers him as her personal project. You know, the before-and-after type of thing. So, he finally agreed to one date, just to shut her up. But the problem is that he thinks she thinks he’s gay. He’s not. But she doesn’t believe him. And he thinks she has found a man for this date, and—” Ann paused and chuckled at her own rambling. “So, long story short, I’m here to meet the man on his behalf.”

And to that, all Lister could say was, “Wow.”

Ann smiled. “It didn’t make much sense.”

“No— I mean, it did, sort of,” Lister said, bringing her martini to her mouth. “And here you are, being stood up by this gay man that you never agreed to meet in the first place.” 

“Yeah… Well, he might be bi. Not that it matters to me. I just— I want to apologise to him, at least. I don’t know what he expected, but certainly not me .”

“Apologise? He is the one who should apologise in my opinion. You are wasting your time here, on New Year’s Eve.”

“I wouldn’t have had anything to do anyway,” Ann said with a shrug. “I would’ve probably been asleep by now.”

“All alone?”

Ann nodded. 

Lister thought about it, and pursed her lips. “It’s rather hard to believe. Someone as lovely as you, left alone— Unless it’s your choice.”

A touch of red crept up her neck. “Nobody really asks me out.” 

“Now, that’s a lie.”

“It’s true. Well, nobody that I want to consider being on a date with anyway.”

Lister raised her brow. “Ah, a woman with high standards.”

“No, not necessarily.”

“I must apologise, then.” Lister leaned in toward her, with her patented smirk on her lips. “For making you seen with a lass like me in public, calling you my wife.” 

With the blush rising to her ears, Ann let out a giggle. “What’s your story? You don’t seem very disappointed that your date isn’t here.”

“Hmm. My situation is similar to yours, I suppose. It was my ex that was meant to be here. But then—” Lister stopped to cast a cautious glance at Ann. “Then, _she_ decided to bail and go to the beach instead.”

That raised Ann’s eyebrows. Lister couldn’t see which part of the statement got her gears and wheels working in her head. 

Ann tilted her head. “Why did she go to the beach today?”

A smile tugged at Lister’s mouth. “The waves are glowing in Norfolk now.”

“I’m sorry?”

“It’s caused by bioluminescent microbes in the water. There are certain criteria for them to thrive on the shore, and it depends on different locations, but right now in Norfolk, the water is teeming with glowing planktons. Let me show you—” Lister whipped her phone out and searched for the images online. She showed Ann one photo of electric blue waves on the dark beach. “It is gorgeous, I don’t disagree. But apparently, this is worth throwing your ex under the bus.”

“It’s beautiful…” Ann looked up from the phone, and by design or not, stared into Lister’s eye. Those eyes then darted to Lister’s lips. Her cheeks blushed, and she quickly looked away.

Indeed, this evening was getting more and more interesting. “Do you like the ocean, Ann?”

Ann turned her head back around. “The ocean? Yes, I do... though I haven’t gone to the beach for a while now. I went to the aquarium back in July, I think. I liked it.”

“Sea Life Aquarium, you mean? Down the street? Yeah, I have a few colleagues there.”

“You do? What do you do?”

The confused knot between Ann’s brows made Lister’s heart flutter. “I’m a marine biologist. A teuthologist, to be more specific.” She chuckled at the further puzzlement across Ann’s face. “I study cephalopods like octopuses and squids and cuttlefish.”

“Oh, okay.” Ann’s beam faltered for a moment. “Octopi… Octopuses?”

“Octopuses. The pluralisation with an _i_ ending comes from Latin, but the word _octopus_ comes from ancient Greek. So, Latin grammar doesn’t apply here. Octopuses is the correct answer, Miss Ann.” Despite having explained this to countless people, on countless occasions, Lister didn’t mind doing so for Ann. Not even a bit. The sparkling delight in Ann's eyes was more than a good enough reward to Lister.

“I’m learning so much,” Ann said. 

“And what do you do?”

“I’m a florist. My sister owns a shop in Mayfair, but right now, she’s pregnant with her third child, so I’m running the place full-time.”

“A florist,” Lister said. “How charming.”

Ann shook her head with a slight smile. “Nothing as exciting as your job. We do have some eccentric patrons now and then, though. The nosey woman who set up this date? She’s a good friend of my sister. She’s been pressuring me to find someone, too. But of course, James is her top priority. I’m probably the second.”

“James?”

“Oh, the friend of mine that was supposed to be here.”

“Right.”

Ann shrugged. “Tell me more about your work. Why do you like them, the ceph...”

That was unexpected. 

“Cephalopods. What’s not to like?” Lister might have let out a laugh too loud, but neither of them cared. “They are incredibly intelligent creatures. You may have seen a video of an octopus opening a jar or doing something quite impressive.”

“I have.”

“Hmm, but that’s not all. We humans tend to think we are the most intelligent beings on the planet earth, but it’s only because we correlate intelligence with things like problem solving skills and critical thinking ability and whatnot. But they possess something we don’t. They can change the shape of their body and the color of their skin and even the texture. And they communicate with one another so eloquently, without spoken words. Humans, well, we gesticulate. We read people's facial expressions. But it's only supplementary, isn't it?”

When Lister had decided to chat her up, it hadn’t been her plan to talk about boneless animals in the ocean. But Ann didn’t seem to be put off by her enthusiasm. It surprised Lister in a delightful way, as Mariana always warned that it would drive women away. 

Well, not Ann, apparently. Despite her lack of knowledge, Ann seemed utterly eager to contribute to the conversation by asking many questions, not afraid of admitting her ignorance. Lister found that admirable. 

She gestured at Ann’s glass that was now empty. “Something to drink? It doesn’t have to be alcoholic. You need something to keep you hydrated.”

Ann seemed to contemplate, and said, “Yes, I’d like that.”

After giving Ann time to decide on a drink, Lister beckoned to the bartender and placed their orders. Ann received her mimosa with a meek bow of the head. 

“I like learning new things like that,” Ann said, taking a sip. “All I knew was that they have a lot of arms. I always thought it was cool.” 

Lister laughed with her. “That’s right. Imagine having that many arms that you can move freely. So many things you can do at once.”

“Yeah.”

“Except—” Lister stopped herself, unable to contain her giggle. “Oh, Lord. Never mind.”

“What is it? Tell me.” 

“I can’t. It’s rather outrageous.”

Ann's hand came to rest on Lister’s knee, her eyes shining with curiosity. “Please. You can’t hint at something so intriguing and not say it. Tell me, please.”

Lister feigned embarrassment. “Well, it’s true that those guys have many arms, but… the males have… One of their arms is shorter than the others and sort of like a… you know.”

Ann drew closer. “Like a what?”

“A penis.”

“Oh—” Ann tried to say something more, but seemed tongue-tied. “Oh.”

Bellowing with laughter, Lister tried to look into Ann's face, hidden in her hands. “You’ve gone red. I shouldn’t have told you.”

“Oh, you are just teasing me. That can’t be true!”

“It is true. They really do insert one of their arms up the female’s sack to ejaculate! So, imagine that, but in human form?”

“No.” The blush spread to her ears. But behind her hands, a huge smile was tugging at Ann's mouth.

“I told you they are fascinating,” Lister said. “Can you guess what happens after the mating process?” 

Ann groaned with a grin, looking at the ceiling. “I’m not sure I want to.” 

Lister brought her face closer to Ann’s, looking into her eye. “There’s no pillow talk, if you need a clue.”

Ann’s eyes flicked from her eyes to her lips to their surroundings, and back to her eyes. She licked her lips. “I don’t know. What’s the answer?” Her voice was barely audible in the crowded bar. 

“Well…” Lister slowly ran her fingers across the wooden surface of the bar counter, brushing them against Ann’s hand. And as they locked their eyes, she grabbed her hand and lunged forward until their faces were centimetres apart. “She eats him.”

Ann’s eyes grew wide, either at the information or their proximity, Lister wasn’t sure. But her look of utter shock made Lister laugh even harder. 

“She eats him?” Ann said.

“Yes, eats him, if he’s not careful enough, that is. Called sexual cannibalism. But it’s not that uncommon. Some spiders do it. The praying mantis are notorious for it. Anyhow, aren’t we lucky, to be humans after all? At least, sex isn’t a matter of life and death anymore in today’s society.”

Their hands remained connected as Ann hadn’t pulled hers back. Now, Lister drew circles on her skin with her thumb, feeling the warmth of her blossom. But once Ann looked down at their hands, she grimaced and withdrew it with an apology.

“What’s wrong?” Lister said.

Ann fidgeted, her hands curling into loose fists. “My hands are so ugly. They are dry and spreathed. You see, I have to handle water all day at work.” She kept her gaze downward, a furrow on her brow. “I can’t use hand cream, or it’ll spoil the flowers. I did use it before coming here, but—”

“Don’t ever feel ashamed of it.” Slowly, Lister sandwiched Ann’s hand between her own hands. “I know how it’s to work around water. It gets especially hard in winter, doesn’t it? You can’t wear gloves, but you cannot choose not to touch water, either.”

Ann nodded. 

“Your hands are beautiful, Ann. They are the hands of a wonderful caretaker, someone who prioritises flowers’ lives over her comfort.”

Ann’s eyes rose to meet hers. As silence passed between them, the shadow of doubt in those eyes turned into slight confusion, and eventually, into bashful acceptance. A tiny sigh fell from her lips. “Nobody has ever told me anything like that.”

“I don’t say anything that isn’t true. You want to see my hands? They are absolute mummy hands.” Lister held her right hand in front of their faces. In the dim light of the bar, her skin was the unhealthy colour of greyish brown. It came to her attention only then that her right middle finger had a smudge of ink. 

“Is that ink?” Ann said, amusement woven in her voice.

“Yes.” Lister dampened a paper napkin with the condensation on her cocktail glass, and rubbed the smudge away to the best of her ability. “I shagged a lady made of ink before coming here.” Why she said it, she wasn’t sure. Alcohol. She probably should go easy on it.

Ann was nice—or tipsy—enough to chuckle at it. “I'm not familiar with the anatomy of the ink people, but if that small smudge is all that she has left on you, maybe you didn't give her much pleasure.”

Lister gaped at her, scandalised. “Pardon me?” she said, already laughing. “Miss Ann. Oh, _Miss Ann_. What an imp you are!”

Ann covered her mouth with her hands, but couldn’t seem to hold back her giggle. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that. Too far?”

“Yes, it is outrageous”—Lister drew closer until their knees bumped against each other—“implying that I cannot pleasure women. You clearly have no idea what I’m capable of.”

Ann’s giggle died down as she bit her lip. 

Lister stared at it, feeling her desire bubble to the surface. But she made no move. 

She was having a hard time reading Ann’s body language. It seemed that it wasn’t just her ability to walk on the steady ground that she had forgotten, but also her instinct. The art of seduction. It was not just alcohol that had to be blamed for it, she knew. Too much time had passed since the last time she’d flirted with anyone. Was Ann flirting with her on purpose, or was she just an intoxicated, clueless straight girl?

Lister checked the time on her phone. That twenty minutes Mariana had given her had flown by. It was already past ten.

“So, Miss Ann.” She met Ann’s heavy-lidded eyes. “It’s ten o'clock. I doubt that either of our dates would show up at this point. So, you may go home now...”

Ann smile fell. 

“Or, you may stay with me, and we can welcome the beginning of the new decade together. Which would you prefer?”

“I want to be with you,” Ann said without missing a beat, and then flushed. “I mean, stay with you until midnight.”

“Good,” Lister said and released her breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. “Good. Do you want to eat something? Weren’t you supposed to have dinner with your date?”

As all of the tables were now occupied, they gave up on the idea of a proper meal and ordered fish and chips at the bar. Their conversation flowed naturally as if they’d known each other for a long time. 

A couple of moronic men tried to chat up Ann, one while Lister left the seat for the loo, and the other one while Ann was going to the loo. In both cases, Lister protected her _wife_ with her patented death glare and a cock of her brow. 

Lister didn’t know which of them had initiated it or when it had happened, but when she realised, their fingers were intertwined, and Ann was absentmindedly playing with Lister's rings.

“So, what are your New Year’s resolutions?” Ann said.

With her cocktail glass touching her lips, Lister gave it a thought. “Less drinking?”

They shared a look before bursting into laughter, saying _no_ to it in chorus.

“I don’t know,” Lister said. “I never make New Year's resolutions. They don’t mean anything, do they?”

“Well, I make them every year.”

“Do you keep them every year?”

Ann glanced away with a guilty grin across her lips. “No.”

“See?”

“But they motivate me for the first three months or so. This year, I ran everyday until my sister got pregnant and I got too busy.”

“Is that your resolution, then? To run everyday?”

Ann shrugged her shoulders. “Could be. I want to go on adventures more. It doesn’t have to be overseas traveling or anything grandiose. Things like… going to the beach on a whim to see glowing waves.”

Lister chuckled at that. “Hmm. I do plan to go whale watching in September. I have friends who study them.”

“Perhaps, I come with you?”

“Really?” The possible promise made her heart flutter. Lister shot her a teasing smile. “I’ve been told my personality changes on the water. Captain Lister, they call me. Are you ready for that?”

With eyes shining, Ann nodded. “Yes, Captain.”

Then, the cheers of the crowd around them suddenly began to grow deafening. They both followed people’s gaze and saw the clock on the wall. It was almost midnight. The countdown started with one minute left till midnight. Some people at the bar were watching the live countdown on Youtube. The air buzzed with a sense of anticipation. 

“I don’t know why it’s making me nervous,” Ann shouted close to her ear.

“It’s the end of the decade.”

As the countdown came to ten, people’s excitement grew even more thunderous, shaking the walls. Lister cast a quick glance at the crowd. Some people were in groups, wearing those obnoxious 2020 party glasses and brandishing champagne bottles. 

_Nine!_

And there were some people that were obviously couples. They held each other, arms around their partner’s shoulders or waist, as they stared into each other’s eye. 

_Eight!_

As if there was nobody else around them. 

_Seven!_

She and Mariana had welcomed a New Year like that once, surrounded by strangers. They had shared a kiss then. A very quick and discreet one. Probably the only kiss they’d ever had in public.

 _Six!_

What year was it? 2015, or 16.

_Five!_

Some people began to scream. Lister turned her head back around to see Ann, who also had been looking at the crowd. Even in the alcoholic haze, Lister’s brain could register the sheer beauty of her smile, the growing thrill in her.

_Four!_

Ann squeezed her hand slightly. Lister did the same and dropped her gaze to her lips. Hell, what was it that Ann wanted?

_Three!_

“Do you want to kiss?” Lister said.

Lister clearly heard, over the drumming yodelling and screaming, Ann’s little gasp. But it was a gasp of hesitation.

_Two!_

“Yes,” Ann said.

_One!_

But Lister remained still.

_Happy New Year!_

Big Ben rang, and the crowd erupted into elation. There was the boom of fireworks outside. Some people ran out into the street to howl into the night, one person even blowing a vuvuzela. Out of the corner of her eye, Lister saw couples share their first kisses of the year and decade. Then, she locked eyes with Ann, questions written all over her flushed face.

“I’m sorry,” Lister said. “I shouldn’t have asked you like that. The countdown. I might as well have given you a time limit.”

“Oh, no. Anne—”

“We were getting along so well. I tried to take advantage of it.”

“No—”

“I mean, I’ve wanted to kiss you. That’s true, but I shouldn’t have—”

“I want you to kiss me, too.”

Lister’s train of thought came to an abrupt halt at that. All the external noises vanished from their world, it seemed. The only thing Lister could hear was Ann’s breathing. And she saw Ann’s neck twitch as she swallowed. She swallowed once, wetted her lips, and swallowed again.

“Really?” Lister said.

 _Yes_ , Ann’s lips moved.

Lister’s eyes darted to their connected hands. Feeling her head swim, she brought them to her lips and brushed a tender kiss across the back of Ann’s spreathed hand first. When no objection came, she turned the hand over and kissed the inside of her wrist. Their eyes met. Ann gave the slightest smile as she moved her jaw forward. 

That silent signal was all Lister needed to finally close the remaining gap between them. They sighed into the kiss. It was unhurried and yet felt electrifying. 

Separating, they gazed into each other’s eye. A huge smile spread across Ann’s face. 

Lister brushed her thumb over Ann’s bottom lip. “Do you want to leave this place and go somewhere more quiet? My—”

“Yes.”

Lister couldn’t help her smile. “My ex must’ve come home by now. Yes, I live with my ex, but we have a guest room. She won’t disturb us there.”

Ann visibly swallowed again. “I… My apartment has nobody else in it. So, if you’d like—”

“I’d like that.”

They stood up and walked through the ocean of drunk reprobates, walking out of Crow Nest, hand in hand. The streets were just as crowded, if not more. Even the sky was busy, the fireworks lighting up the whole cover of darkness. They stood in front of the restaurant and watched the burst of colours above them. 

Lister wrapped her arm around Ann’s shoulders. “Should we get go—”

“Oh, good evening, Miss Lister!” 

Lister’s head snapped up. There, she saw none other than Eliza Priestley, accompanied by her husband. She cursed under her breath, but affected a smile. “Good evening, Eliza. Happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year to you, too. I didn’t know you were back in the city.”

“Yes. Just came home three days ago.”

“Good.” Eliza’s attention then shifted to Ann. “Hello, Miss Walker. What a delight to see you here. I was quite worried that you might be spending the night at home all alone.”

Lister raised her brow as Ann returned a stiff smile.

“Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Priestley,” Ann said. 

Eliza’s gaze travelled between Lister and Ann, with a curious tilt of her head. “I had no idea you knew each other. Anyway—” she said to Lister, “I set up Miss Belcombe on a date tonight, at this very place. Do you happen to know how it went?”

“Ah,” Lister said in a mild panic, “well, I heard that it didn’t go very well. Apparently the man made a very crude remark, about her appearance.”

Aghast, Eliza’s hand flew to her chest. “Oh, dear. I had no idea that…” She turned to Ann. “Mr. Mackenzie never struck me as someone who would make women uncomfortable like that.”

Multiple questions popped up into Lister’s head instantly. And judging from Ann's expression, she also had a problems wrapping her head around the situation. 

“I’m sorry. I don’t follow?” Ann said. 

Eliza laughed. “Oh, the funny thing is that I arranged a dinner date for your friend and her friend.”

Lister and Ann exchanged a startled look.

“It was a terrible miscalculation,” Eliza said, oblivious. “Perhaps Mr. Mackenzie really is into gentlemen. I must be more considerate next time.” Then, she smiled at both of them. “Very well, ladies. Have a wonderful night.”

With that, she and her husband disappeared into the crowds as if nothing had happened. The last and biggest firework went up with a roaring bang, and that marked the end of the official New Year celebration. The sky regained its usual calmness afterwards. 

“Hmm, so…” Lister said, “Eliza is your nosey patron?”

Ann blinked as if still trying to make sense of it all. “Yes. Mrs. Priestley is my nosey patron.”

“Does that mean, we’ve been each other’s date this whole time?”

“I think— Yes, I think so.”

Another short silence passed between them. 

And they began to speak at the same time.

“I didn’t know his date was going to be a woman—” 

“Mariana said his name was Jake—” Taking a deep breath, Lister scratched her head. “Weren’t you supposed to be wearing a red rose?” 

“I— No.” Ann stuck her hand in her bag and took something out. A red rose. 

“Oh—”

“I had one, but I didn’t want to make a fool of myself like that. Who does that?”

“Eliza.”

“Yeah, Mrs. Priestley.”

They looked down at the red rose, looked at one another, and burst into laughter. 

“Okay,” Lister said. “I have to admit this is one of the most bizarre dates I’ve ever been on.”

“Good. This was my first date ever, and I didn’t even know it.”

“First date?”

Ann shrugged. “I mean, I wasn’t planning to count it as a date. But nothing went according to plan, obviously.”

“Yeah. You have a point there.” Lister chewed on her lip, briefly lost in contemplation. “Let’s not.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Let’s not count this as a date.” Smiling at Ann’s poorly-hidden dismay, Lister took her hands. “I want your firsts to be special and not accidental. I’d still like to come to your place tonight. We can talk or watch a movie or whatever you fancy. And tomorrow, I’d like to take you out on our official first date. What do you say?”

As her words sank in, Ann gave a grin. “Yes, I’d like that very much.” 

“Brilliant. Will you lead the way, my lady?” Lister kissed the back of her hand before shoving both of their hands into her coat pocket.

People around them howled and sang, dancing in the rain of champagne and cheap alcohol. Some of them were even getting half-naked despite the freezing air. The streets quickly became littered with clothes, bottles, cigarette butts, and food wrappers. A picture of proper chaos.

Lister and Ann walked among them, secure in their bubble, anxious for the new memories yet to be made together. 


End file.
